Despite the fact he was not a morning person, Draco found himself up and dressed shortly after dawn. Given events of the previous day, Hermione had slept pretty fitfully, but she now seemed to be fast asleep. Although maybe that was because Anya had crawled into bed with them sometime in the night, and she was now snuggled up next to her mother. Even though Anya had no idea what had been going on, she'd clearly spotted something was amiss with Hermione the previous evening, hence her appearing in the middle of the night.
Leaving Hermione and Anya to sleep, Draco headed downstairs and made himself a cup of coffee. Settling down at the kitchen table, his mind turned to events of the previous day. Even with all the evidence pointing to a Weasley being Hermione's stalker, he was still struggling to accept Percy as the culprit. Of all the Weasleys, Percy was the one he knew the least well, but he still wouldn't have imagined he was capable of the torment he'd put Hermione through.
Although the main thing puzzling Draco was his motives for the entire thing. He of all people understood doing something you knew was wrong because of the love you had for your mother, but he just couldn't see what Percy had truly hoped to gain with his actions. Back in the war, Draco had done what he had to keep Narcissa safe, but he wasn't sure what terrorising Hermione was going to achieve in regard to Molly. Even if Percy had succeeded and driven him out of Hermione's life, Draco still didn't see how it would make things any better between her and Molly. He was merely an extension of the problems that already existed between them, not the root cause, so getting him out of the picture, really wouldn't have changed things in Draco's opinion.
Draco was still mulling over Percy's motives, and why he had taken such drastic action to assuage Molly's fears, when he heard someone entering the kitchen. Looking up he found Charlie entering the room. The redheaded wizard looked as though he had hardly slept. Not that Draco could blame him as he must be in turmoil over everything that was going on. Helping himself to a cup of coffee, Charlie slumped down in a chair opposite Draco.
"Can't sleep?" Draco asked.
"I've barely had ten minutes all night," Charlie admitted. "I'm still struggling to accept that it was all Percy. And for such stupid reasons as well."
"I have to admit, his motives are what's baffling me the most," Draco confessed. "I think I could understand it more if he really hated me, and genuinely believed I posed a threat to Anya's safety. But he didn't even seem to have much of an issue with me."
"As usual, it was all about Mum," Charlie said with a sigh. "The second I realised Percy was behind it all, I knew Mum had to be involved somewhere."
"You think Molly is involved?" Draco questioned, genuinely shocked by the idea as the previous day she'd seem horrified to learn what Percy had done.
"Merlin no," Charlie said with a rough shake of his head. "I don't mean that she put him up to it or anything. I just meant the reason he was doing it had to be about her."
"Why?" Draco asked, genuinely curious as to why Percy would go to such lengths to ease his mother's unfounded fears. He still wasn't sure why Percy hadn't simply spoken to Hermione if he'd been that worried about Molly.
"I don't know how much you know about what my family went through in the war."
"Not a lot," Draco confessed. "I was pretty busy with my own families mess, and while Hermione and I have obviously spoken about the past, I've never really gone into it with any of your family. To be honest, it's a time of my life I don't like to dwell on."
"I can't say I blame you there," Charlie said with a sigh. "It's a time we all like to forget. Anyway, in those final few years Percy pretty much isolated himself from the family. It all started after Voldemort returned and Percy took the Ministry's stance that Harry was lying about the whole thing. It caused a major rift with the family and he pretty much walked away from us at the height of the war."
"I had no idea," Draco muttered. He'd always thought the Weasleys were a family who stuck together through thick and thin, and he'd assumed they had faced the war in the same way.
"He came back to us at the end," Charlie said with a shrug. "When it counted, he was where he belonged. Only he's never forgiven himself for not being there when the family needed him, particularly when Mum needed him. So ever since then, he's made it his mission to make it up to Mum. He's the one who goes to The Burrow the most, he's the one who'll drop anything if Mum wants any help with anything. He even named his daughter after her. Since the war, he's devoted his life to making sure he never lets Mum down again."
"Which is why he felt he needed to act when he overheard her worrying about losing Anya," Draco concluded. "He thought it was something else he could fix for her."
"I'm thinking so," Charlie agreed with a nod. "He just went about it all the wrong way. Why he couldn't have just spoken to Hermione, I don't know. The irony is, given how close Mum and Percy are these days, he could have actually been the best person to convince her that your presence in Anya's life doesn't diminish her place in our family. Instead of causing all this trouble, he could have helped end the issues."
"I just hope he hasn't caused more," Draco admitted. "He's going to end up in trouble of some sort, and I just hope Molly doesn't blame Hermione for it."
"I won't let her," Charlie vowed. "I'm going to go and see her soon, and check how she is. I'm not going to let Percy's schemes ruin the work I did with Mum and Hermione. I won't let my brother's foolishness impact my daughter's life."
Draco just hoped that Charlie was proved right and that recent revelations wouldn't have a negative impact on Hermione and Molly's relationship. As it was they were teetering on the edge, and Draco feared that the Percy incident could be enough to push them apart for good. And while it wouldn't affect his life if Molly wasn't around, it would affect Anya, and the last thing Draco wanted was for his adorable little stepdaughter-to-be to lose her family. He knew how precious family was, and he wanted Anya to have all of her family in her life.
Needing a distraction from everything that was going on, Hermione suggested she and Draco take Anya out for the day when she got up to find her fiancé already up and about. Draco was more than happy with the suggestion, so while Charlie headed off to see his mother, Draco, Hermione and Anya headed into the muggle world, where they did some shopping in the sales. They then called at the manor for tea, where Draco and Hermione filled Lucius and Narcissa in on recent developments while Anya happily played with some toys that were kept at the manor for her.
"I don't know whether to be disgusted with him, or feel sorry for him," Narcissa remarked with a sad shake of his head. "Obviously, what he did was terrible and he should never have done it, but to think it was all for his mother."
"I don't feel at all sorry for him," Lucius announced. "It doesn't matter what his motives were, he still behaved appallingly."
"It's easy to justify you bad actions when it's for someone you love," Draco said softly.
"That was different, Draco," Lucius said, knowing immediately what his son was talking about. "When you did what you did, your mother's life was in danger. Molly Weasley wasn't fearing for her life when her son did what he did to Hermione. I understand that he wanted to sooth her fears, but he went about it in a totally inappropriate way."
"I'm with Lucius on this on," Hermione said. "As much as I understand Percy wanting to help Molly, the way he did it was unforgivable."
"I fully agree with that," Draco assured his fiancée. "I'm just saying that it's not always as simple as it seems. I think that to go the extremes that he did, he has some serious issues he needs to address. Charlie said he's been making things up to Molly since the war, but this is not the way to do it."
"The irony is, Molly has long since gotten over his actions in the war," Hermione said with a sigh. "I think it's his siblings that remember the way he walked out on them. Molly was just so thrilled to have him back in the fold, especially after losing Fred. He's never had to work to win back her love, he's always had it."
"I think the whole thing is very sad," Narcissa said with a soft sigh. She didn't know all the details of what had happened, but it was very clear that there were issues to be worked out with certain Weasleys.
"I agree with that as well," Hermione said. "But at least now it's over. I don't have to worry about Anya and I being watched."
"It's over until the trial," Lucius pointed out. "Then you're going to have to relive it all again."
"I'm not sure there will be a trial," Hermione said. "Unless Percy is going to turn around and deny the whole thing, which I don't see how he can do given he confessed in front of so many people, there'll be no need for a trial. Charges can be brought against him and a suitable punishment handed out by the Wizengamot."
"What sort of a punishment will it be, do you think?" Narcissa asked.
"Given his previous character and the fact no-one was hurt, I seriously doubt it will be a custodial sentence," Hermione replied. "How harsh a punishment he then receives will likely depend on how the Wizengamot are feeling on the day they pass sentence. I do find them very hard to predict."
"I'm sure whatever happens, it'll be what he deserves," Draco said, not willing to offer an opinion on what punishment Percy should face as he didn't feel it was his place to pass judgment on whatever sentence the Ministry handed out. He'd been the recipient of their leniency years ago, and he wasn't going to argue against their chosen sentencing for anyone.
Leaving the topic of Percy to one side, as the whole reason for going out was to get away from everything, Hermione and Draco enjoyed another couple of hours at the manor before returning home with Anya. When they got home they found Harry and Ron sitting in the living room with Charlie, much to Anya's delight. In fact she was so excited by the presence of her two uncles that it was another forty minutes before Hermione was able to get her to go to her room and pick out a story for after her bath.
"I'll go and give Anya her bath," Charlie offered, following his daughter from the room.
"Is everything okay?" Hermione asked her two best friends.
"We just thought you would like an update on the Percy situation," Ron said. "We've already filled Charlie in."
"An update would be good," Hermione agreed.
"Obviously, we've had to hand over the case," Harry began. "But it's basically tying up loose ends now. Percy has made a full confession and he's been suspended from work and released on bail. He'll be formally charged next week, and then his case will go before the Wizengamot. Sometime before then, someone will be in touch for you to give your official statement."
"And what will happen to Percy?" Hermione asked. While she believed he needed to be punished, she didn't want her statement to influence his sentence.
"It would be very unlikely he'll go to Azkaban," Ron said, confirming what Hermione herself had concluded based on her own experience at work. "We're thinking some sort of community service."
"But of course, the charges will be kept on record and given that he stole from the Ministry, I think it's fair to say he's going to lose his job," Harry added.
"How will he and Audrey cope?" Hermione asked. "He's got a family to support."
"That's something he's going to have to work out," Ron said with a sigh. "But he's not alone. He does have the family to rely on. I know we should all hate him for what he did to you, Hermione, but he's my brother."
"I don't expect you to hate him, Ron," Hermione assured her best friend. "I don't even think I hate him. Yes, I'm angry at him, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to trust him again, but I don't hate him. And I'm not going to resent the family sticking by him. It's what families do."
Once Harry and Ron had gone, Hermione curled up on the sofa, and they were still there when Charlie returned from giving Anya her bath. Since it was still early, he'd left her playing for a bit, but he promised to go back up and tuck her in when it was her bedtime.
"How was Molly?" Draco asked as the redhead flopped down in the chair.
"Devastated," Charlie answered with a sigh. "She's blaming herself for the entire thing. She knows that Percy's life has pretty much imploded, and she thinks it's all her fault. I tried convincing her that Percy has to take responsibility for his own actions, but it was hard when part of me kept thinking that she was right. If she hadn't convinced herself she was losing Anya, none of this would have happened. Percy wouldn't have felt the need to step in and save the day. If only she'd listened to what we've been telling her for months."
"It's too late to change that now," Hermione said with a shrug. "It would be easy to lay some of the blame at Molly's door, but if she's doing that herself, I really don't think we should add to it. Can you let her know that I don't blame her please, Charlie."
"I can," Charlie confirmed with a nod of his head. "She did she wanted to talk to you, but she also said she needs time. I think she needs to get herself sorted before she sees anyone to be honest."
"I'll be here whenever she wants to talk," Hermione promised.
She only hoped that the meeting would be a positive one, and all of this wouldn't set back the progress they had only just started to make. Instinct told Hermione that her next meeting with Molly would be make or break for their relationship. Either events with Percy would create an unbridgeable gap between them, or else it would enable them to draw a line under the past and start again. Hermione hoped for the latter, but only time would tell what was in store for her and Molly.